Hello, my lovelies, I’m sorry I’ve been neglecting you. (Bonus topic: anyone have any experience milking airlines for certainly not compensation compensation?) ETA: my luggage is on the plane, fuck yeah, I need a drink. 

"Honeybunchesofgoats" (honeybunche0fgoats) 01/09/2018 at 15:53 • Filed to: None

10

37

Here’s how my day has gone: woke up at 2:30 AM, get to the airport at 3:30.

Queued up for a 6:30 flight.

Informed that there’s a mechanical problem.

Get switched to a flight through Chicago.

End up in a shitty boarding group (8 out of 9)

I was group 5. I paid extra to be in group 5, because people are GARBAGE.

Cut into the line while group 6 is boarding, once I realize that fucking people from group 9 are boarding, and despite that being budget-y personal item only, these fucks have carry ons. This is why I waste money to reserve a seat, because.

I get up to the agent and she immediately stops allowing carry-ons.

I. Do. Not. Check. Baggage. I will travel for a month with a carry-on and a personal item. I will not check bags.

I check my bag.

I realize I left my house keys and my only set of car keys in my now checked bag.

I get on the plane.

The plane has technical problems.

An hour passes, my new connection is not going to be made.

They give people the opportunity to deboard.

I leave and talk to a customer service rep, he books me on a new connecting flight and ensures me that my luggage can’t end up on any other flight.

I’m nice and polite, other people are assholes, I get upgraded.

I go back on the plane.

They fix the problem. The plane was to leave at 7. It is now 9.

They announce that because some mother fuckers walked out without getting marked as leaving the plane, EVERYONE has to fucking leave and reboard the plane, because they don’t know who’s on it.

Get back in the plane. It is now 10.

Start taxiing.

Oh, airport traffic jam. We’re 23rd in line to take off.

Take off at 10:45.

Now I’m in a bar in O’Hare waiting for my next flight at 3, and my fucking luggage’s status hasn’t been updated since it was put on the plane at Newark.

Now, in all fairness, everyone I’ve dealt with has been incredibly nice, but, holy shit, I’ve got to be able to get something out of this, right?

Also, if my luggage doesn’t meet me when I land, I will have to both have a locksmith get me in my house and have my car towed to a dealer to have a new key made. Genuinely, people who don’t follow boarding instructions need to die in a fire.

Mini Guy- Now has a 4Runner > Honeybunchesofgoats 01/09/2018 at 14:23

3

Rest In Peace my bruduh. At least you know da wae

crowmolly > Honeybunchesofgoats 01/09/2018 at 14:28

4

I leave and talk to a customer service rep, he books me on a new connecting flight and ensures me that my luggage can’t end up on any other flight.

RIP your keys. Those fuckers will tell you anything to get you to go away.

Honeybunchesofgoats > crowmolly 01/09/2018 at 14:30

1

I genuinely believe that part, for what it’s worth. There are no other flights to my final destination today, so there’s no reason it shouldn’t be on the same flight as me. My worry is that they get lost in O’Hare.

WilliamsSW > Honeybunchesofgoats 01/09/2018 at 14:33

1

American or United? Either way, I highly recommend Tortas Frontera for drinks and food.

As far as getting comp goes, being nice like you are wins you way more than yelling and screaming, but beyond that, I’ve got nothing. Good luck!

Honeybunchesofgoats > WilliamsSW 01/09/2018 at 14:39

1

American, thankfully.

I’m at some place called Skyscraper. It’s fine. I’m relatively at peace, despite the fact that I can’t track my luggage and I want to die.

Arrivederci > Honeybunchesofgoats 01/09/2018 at 14:39

1

That sucks, but I know the feels.

Last week was wrapping up a vacation in the Bahamas when that storm started churning up the coast. Very windy day when we’re trying to leave.

On the phone with the plane charter company, plane can’t make it.

They call back - plane may be able to make it.

They call back - plane is going to leave at 1pm, will call to confirm.

1:30 pm passes - no call.

We call them - they say hold tight.

My flight out of FLL was for 6pm that afternoon - starting to look like it’s not going to happen, having to go through Bahamian customs, then fly out, then US customs, then FLL security.

Get urgent call that plane is leaving FLL inbound for Treasure.

Quickly gather already-packed bags, round up family, use Wifi to check in on flight, head for marina.

Get on $200 ferry to island with the airport.

Extremely long, choppy ferry ride.

Exit ferry, get $50 Bahamian taxi to airport 2 miles away.

Arrive at airport, watch other planes try to land and fail.

Get another call from the charter company - plane will try to land at a different airport.

Get in taxi for $100 ride to other airport. Halfway there, charter company calls and says plane can’t land there either, bugging back out to FLL.

Redirect taxi to local resort and hope they have rooms available.

Taxi drops us off at the local resort and we fortunately get a condo that can fit all of us.

Charter company calls and says tomorrow should be better.

Attempt to call commercial airline to change flight, but no dice since we already checked in (which was an attempt to save our seats in case they overbooked).

Quickly start scanning other flights out of FLL, finding all prices jumping from the $200 range to nearly $1k.

Expand search and find a flight we can get on for $200pp out of MIA.

Finally relax and find a bar and some cold Kaliks.

Traveling is fun.

Chariotoflove > Honeybunchesofgoats 01/09/2018 at 14:40

5

Well look who survived the holidays.

Our flight back to Dallas got delayed into oblivion such that we ended up changing to a flight the next day. It was on a plane without the closet to put my chair. So I had to let them check it. You think you’re anxious about your keys, let me tell you about anxiety...

We once managed to get our luggage lost on a nonstop from Grand Rapids, so I count anything as possible. I never check either. Still, on this flight we got upgraded, everyone was really nice, and we got home late but with everything in hand.

And no, they won’t compensate you. Happy New Year.

Honeybunchesofgoats > Chariotoflove 01/09/2018 at 14:42

1

Well, shit, yeah you got me. That’s way worse. Glad it worked out though.

Thomas Donohue > Honeybunchesofgoats 01/09/2018 at 14:42

1

Originally a 6:30 flight that was delayed until 10:45, so a little over four hours. Sadly, nothing here indicates compensation. Lots of suckiness, but nothing comp worthy...glad you got the upgrade.

I’m with you on the checked bags = never (unless I’m going on an extended vacation that includes golf, in which case I’ll bid farewell to my sticks when I drop them at the over-sized baggage area). I’ve done 10+ days in Europe with one carry-on and one backpack.

Lastly, I always have a separate small bag/backpack with my essentials (ID, wallet, laptop, tablet, etc) so that if I ever have to gate-check my bag, I already know everything I need is with me or under the seat in front of me.

Safe travels.

crowmolly > Honeybunchesofgoats 01/09/2018 at 14:44

0

Well that’s good!

Which airline? If it’s United, call them past midnight (I think). The people who book my travel say that’s the best time since it’s the call center with the most helpful people.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Honeybunchesofgoats 01/09/2018 at 14:44

0

Can’t hurt to complain, but I would set expectations very, very low.

We were held up in Sydney a few weeks ago for a “blocked loo.”

One hour in, we were allowed to “board” and they tore our passes. We made it to the door of the aircraft, and everybody was turned back.

We were assured that we would receive priority boarding because we were “legally boarded.”

Two hours later, they gave up trying to fix it and let everyone board. We did not receive priority boarding despite our torn boarding passes. We were informed that 4 of the 12 lavatories would be disabled.

Once we were seated, captain announces “Well, looks like we were able to fix the toilets while you were boarding.”

Australians gonna Australia.

WilliamsSW > Honeybunchesofgoats 01/09/2018 at 14:44

1

At least you have a chance, then - United is a bunch of assholes.

You must be around K9 - Frontera is at K4 or so. Good margaritas, tequila, etc., if you get sick of where you’re at.

Honeybunchesofgoats > Thomas Donohue 01/09/2018 at 14:45

0

Admittedly, I almost always keep my keys in my coat or personal bag, which is why I had a major “fuuuuuuuuuuuck” moment when I got on the plane and realized they were in my carry-on.

Honeybunchesofgoats > WilliamsSW 01/09/2018 at 14:47

2

Oh yeah, United is garbage. American may have fucked up in multiple ways here, but at least they’re pleasant and pretend to care.

Chariotoflove > Honeybunchesofgoats 01/09/2018 at 14:48

0

Haha, it was supposed to sound like commiseration, not competition.

Also, I was sick with something I’m still being treated for. Thank God I am blessed with an eleven year old daughter that is all business about travel. She helped me keep everything in order and never missed a beat.

WilliamsSW > Honeybunchesofgoats 01/09/2018 at 14:50

1

Yeah, with American at least they smile at you while they screw you over. Any inadvertent smile you get from United is just due to the fact that they’re enjoying screwing you over.

OPPOsaurus WRX > Arrivederci 01/09/2018 at 14:52

4

my wife wants to take our (2) 5 y/o and 1 y/o on a plane this summer. Shes having the hardest time understanding NO FUCKING WAY. well i did tell her there was one way which involved a new WRX hatchback on our driveway. So essentially NO FUCKING WAY

Thomas Donohue > Honeybunchesofgoats 01/09/2018 at 14:56

1

Yeah, I kind of flinched when I saw ‘keys’.

Last year United lost/delayed my golf clubs when I landed in Dublin. No biggie I thought, I’m not playing until three days from now....until I realized that my waterproof pullover and the cords and chargers for my phone/laptop were thrown in there as well. It took a few pubs to find someone with a USB-C charger, but thankfully the people are friendly, and the pubs are always warm and dry.

Good luck w/the keys.

DutchieDC2R > Honeybunchesofgoats 01/09/2018 at 15:01

1

I have experience with milking, but not airlines....

DipodomysDeserti > Honeybunchesofgoats 01/09/2018 at 15:02

2

I’m still trying to get compensated for the $200 I had to spend on clothes after Aer Lingus lost my bags in Ireland back in November. Airlines are the fooking coonts.

Shamoononon drives like a farmer > Honeybunchesofgoats 01/09/2018 at 15:03

2

I will never, ever, ever fly southwest because of their lack of pre-assigned seats. I will always pay the extra 25-75$ for advanced boarding.

Back to your problem - that would piss me off. I always do carry-on. I would definitely ask for a refund for being moved to a different boarding group. Also since your flight is off by 2 hours you may be eligible for more compensation. I really hope your bag makes it!!

Arrivederci > OPPOsaurus WRX 01/09/2018 at 15:24

1

That’s a whole lotta nope. First, that’s four plane tickets, and one of you will have a potentially unhappy squirt on your lap, so it’ll be an expensive uncomfortable time for starters. Flying stinks, but flying with three little ones has to be... challenging, even if they’re angels.

The above trip I recounted was with my wife’s family, so we were all adults and it was still a struggle. I can’t imagine herding kiddos around in the midst of that. When we have kids, we just won’t go anywhere we can’t drive until the youngest is at least 7-8 years old.

WilliamsSW > Honeybunchesofgoats 01/09/2018 at 16:04

0

Whoo hoo! BTW, Woodford Reserve is my go to drink on AA, and lately the FA’s have been *very* nice about not charging me - that might be all the comp you get ! ! !

WilliamsSW > OPPOsaurus WRX 01/09/2018 at 16:13

0

We have traveled with my son (almost 18 months) a number of times - although it’s a big hassle, it’s doable. But it’s *actually* easier before they can walk than it is after they start walking. However, given that your kids outnumber the two of you, and they’re all walking, I don’t blame you.

If you do get forced into it, just make sure you take a non-stop flight wherever you’re going - drive if you have to. It eliminates a lot of the layover debacles.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Honeybunchesofgoats 01/09/2018 at 16:26

0

A few weeks ago on my way back from Orlando my connecting flight in Philly was delayed by 45min. Doesn’t sound like much, but it was enough that I missed the last ferry home for the night. Had to shell out $120 for a hotel. I was sorely tempted to try to make American pay for my lodging but in the end I was too much of a pushover to actually try.

Years ago when Airtrans was still around I was flying with them when the engine sucked in a bird on takeoff. We circled around and landed just fine but were then stuck in the terminal for NINE HOURS waiting for a new plane. They gave everyone on the flight free tickets to anywhere in the U.S. as an apology. We used them to go to Vegas the next year.

Scary__goongala! > Honeybunchesofgoats 01/09/2018 at 16:52

0

You don’t need a drink

You need the bottle.

That being said welcome back

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Honeybunchesofgoats 01/09/2018 at 16:57

0

How often do airlines really lose luggage? I have flown twice now with 5 bags checked each time and did not have any problems. Sure some of the bags had those TSA search memos in them, but thats to be expected. It doesnt seem like airlines really lose luggage frequently outside of movies.

That whole adventure does sound like quite the nightmare though. I despise flying on “budget” airlines that charge for a carryon and seat selection. Often the “normal” carriers charge about the same, if not less, once you include that stuff. I flew on Spirit Airlines once, and I swear to never do it again! The seats were so uncomfortable that I longed for the public bus that I rode on to get to the airport instead.

Amazing experience on Virgin America though the one time I got delayed. We had a four hour delay out of Newark going to LAX due to plane maintenance. They announced the delay promptly, gave out free snacks and drinks, gave everyone $10 meal vouchers, and additionally gave out $50 flight vouchers about a week later without asking. That was the best delay ever! I’ve been delayed on United for 8+ hours and didnt get shit.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Shamoononon drives like a farmer 01/09/2018 at 17:09

0

The only thing that I dislike about Southwests system is that they allow people to pay extra to board ahead of time. If it was all a fair free for all, I would have no issues with it. Ideally I wish it were based on when you bought your ticket. Buy the ticket 6 months in advance? You get to board earlier. I seem to always have a middle seat on Southwest which kind of sucks. Otherwise its a great airline.

AM3R, lost another burner > DipodomysDeserti 01/09/2018 at 17:23

0

I flew to Ireland and had golf clubs with me. They somehow ONLY lost my brand new, custom fitted driver. Fook all airlines.

Shamoononon drives like a farmer > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 01/09/2018 at 17:37

0

2 trips and 10 bags isn’t really a lot to compare off of. My sister in law had two bags misplaced on a single trip alone last year. Once coming and once going. It happens way more often than it should.

Where have all the lightweights gone? > Honeybunchesofgoats 01/09/2018 at 17:56

0

My condolences for the shit start to your trip. I can 100% relate.

I was set to head to England the Thursday before New Year’s until this happened:

The piece in the middle is the radar antenna, and it was borked. BA’s mechanics fiddled around with it for a couple hours before determining it needed replacing. Because they dicked around trying to fix it, my flight was “delayed 24 hours”.

I frantically got in touch with BA’s customer service with mixed results. Eventually I got booked on a direct flight from ORD-MAN (originally booked for ORD-LHR-MAN). That flight was delayed from taking off, had issues with the gate bridge in Manchester, and bags took forever. I missed my originally planned train to Newcastle and had to connect elsewhere.

As a result, I got to Newcastle 90min before my first match in a luxury box. I had to take a Polish shower in Newcastle Central Station’s bathroom, but it turned out to be a good time after that.

TL;DR - Sometimes trips suck in one direction, but don’t let that deter you from enjoying the rest of it.

Where have all the lightweights gone? > Where have all the lightweights gone? 01/09/2018 at 17:56

0

Stupid Kinja. This is what our plane looked like.

haveacarortwoorthree2 > Honeybunchesofgoats 01/09/2018 at 18:27

1

The one benefit to flying “just enough” for AA gold status is that I get to board early enough to stow my carry-on. Of course, my new employer allows me to fly first class so long as the ticket isn’t obscenely more expensive than coach, so I’ve got that going for me.

haveacarortwoorthree2 > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 01/09/2018 at 18:28

1

It is fair — you also can pay to board early. :)

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > haveacarortwoorthree2 01/09/2018 at 18:54

0

Lol that is the issue! I dont really care at all where I sit. It would be nice to not have a middle seat but its not the end of the world. Its just annoying because I never end up middle seats on other airlines because I book well in advance most of the time. At least Southwest gives me snacks and two free bags, so I stop complaining real quick.

DipodomysDeserti > AM3R, lost another burner 01/09/2018 at 21:09

0

I was in Ireland for a day then off to England and Scottland. I told them to hold my bags at the Dublin airport when they found them. They ended up sending them to my hotel a day after I left. They said they’d have them to my hotel in London the next day. After two days they told me they lost them and to buy some clothes. I went to Heathrow to talk to someone and they were sitting behind the counter. Now I have to call at 12am my time of I want to talk to anyone about getting reimbursed.

benjrblant > Honeybunchesofgoats 05/01/2018 at 21:27

0

Havent seen you around Oppo in a while, you doing alright?